Babe Ruth Should Stick to Hitting Baseballs

Is it worth a watch?

Honestly, only if you have a bizarre obsession with early sports cinema or want to see Babe Ruth look uncomfortable for twenty minutes. It’s a short film, so it won’t kill your afternoon, but don’t expect any actual acting. If you love seeing legends out of their element, you might get a kick out of it. If you’re looking for a coherent story, you’re going to be disappointed.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Fancy Curves (1932) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing feels like a weird promotional gag that got stretched out way too far. You’ve got Ruth wandering onto a college campus, and the dialogue is so stiff it makes a wooden bat look flexible.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Fancy Curves (1932) through its definitive frames.

The "Acting"

Babe Ruth is clearly reading his lines off a board just out of frame. Every time he opens his mouth, you can almost hear the gears turning in his head. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just… profoundly awkward. Like watching your uncle try to do stand-up at a wedding.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Fancy Curves (1932) through its definitive frames.

The scene where he swaps places with the batter is the peak of the movie's logic. It’s complete nonsense, but it’s the only part that actually moves with any energy. The way he gets chased off the field at the end? That’s probably the most authentic moment in the entire runtime.

Why it feels weird

There’s a strange energy to these old sports shorts. They always feel like they were filmed in a single afternoon between lunch breaks. It’s not quite as charming as Kid's Last Stand, which at least had a bit more of a pulse.

• The uniforms are way too clean for a dusty field.
• Ruth’s smile never quite reaches his eyes.
• The chase scene is just… people running in circles.

It’s barely a movie. It’s more of a curiosity. You watch it, you realize Babe Ruth should have just stuck to hitting home runs, and then you move on. It makes you appreciate how much better handled the drama is in something like Silas Marner, though that’s a completely different vibe.

I found myself staring at the background extras more than the actual plot. One of the girls in the stands is clearly laughing for real at how silly the whole stunt is. Can't blame her. It’s a messy little sketch, but I guess it’s history, right? ⚾